Clasp



E. J. BELL Jan. 27, 194$.-

cmsrf Filed m. 19, 1946 Patented Jan. 27, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT'OFFICEJ CLASP Eddie J. Bell, Ingleside, Tex.

Application January 19, 1946, Serial No. 642,277

7 Claims. (Cl. 24-261) The invention relates to a clasp made of a single piece of wire bent into such shape that it has jaws which may clasp and hold any matter placed between them. They are held to ether or against the inserted matter by spring pressure. In one form the device may be provided with handles which may be manipulated to Open the jaws, The device may be used for various purposes. It may be used to hold papers or books or to act as a clothes pin or clasp for films or prints, etc.

An embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is perspective of a clasp. Fig. 2 is a front elevation. Fig. 3 is a side elevation. Fig. 4 is a perspective fragmentary view of a portion of the device. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of an optional arrangement.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 4 the clasp is made from a single piece of wire which should be resilient or elastic and is bent into the proper shape. A central more or less straight bar H] has at each end coils H, l2. The coils H and [2 are oppositely wound-for instance, the coil Il may be wound clockwise and the coil I2 counter-clockwise, Depending from the outer end of the coil H is a member I3 which at its bottom is turned diagonally upward into a member M from which is an upwardly extending member l5 which may lie substantially under the coil l2, At the upper end of the member l5 the wire may be turned inwardly to form a member IT more or less parallel to the bar Ill and preferably stopping before it reaches the center of the bar l0. Extendin upwardly from the inner end of the member I? is a member 18 crossing the bar l8 and preferably continuing at its end into a member l9 bent to cross the bar lil having at its end a handle or finger member 29.

Depending from the outer end of the coil I2 is a member 2| which is substantially in contact with the member l5 and which at its bottom is turned dia onally upward into a member 22 crossing the member I4. From the upper end of the member 22 is an upwardly extending member 23 which may lie substantially under the coil I! and in substantial contact with the member 13. At the upper end of the member 23 the wire may be turned inwardly to form a member 24 more or less parallel to the bar l0 and preferably stopping before it reaches the center of the bar ll). Extending upwardly from the inner end of the member 24 is a member 25 crossing the bar ID on the opposite side from the member [8. and

preferably continuing at its end into a member 2% bent to cross the bar H1 in the opposite direction from the member I9 and having at its end a handle or finger member 21.

The arrangement is such that when the parts are at rest, as shown in Fig. 1, the clamping members normally lie substantially in contact with each other but may be separated for receiving material to be clasped by manipulation of the handles. It will be understood that pressing together the finger pieces 20 and 2! will tend to make the lower clamping jaws made up of mem- .bers I3, l4, l5 and 2|, 22, 23 separate. The members l8 and 25 work on the bar H] as a fulcrum where they cross it. The strains and direction of movement are such that this action of opening jaws tends to wind up the coils H and i2 and insure additional unwinding tension to close the jaws on any matter inserted to insure a certain stronghold.

If the device is to be used to attach articles to a bar, rod or rope such as a clothes line or the like, there may be provided oppositely disposed outwardly extending loops 28, 29 in the members l5 and 2| and correspondingly arranged outwardly extending oppositely disposed loops 30, 3| in the members l3 and 23 respectively. These loops make it possible to engage the rope or the like andstill allow the jaws to come into close clamping contact with themselves or with interposed material.

Where the members l8 and 25 cross the bar it! they may be provided with small offsets or loops 32 and 33 respectively and to hold them in place and restrain them from jumping or slipping out of proper adjustment there may be provided clamping or anchor members 3t shown more in detail in Fig. 4 where the I-shaped blank is shown curved and placed on the opposite side of the wire I!) from the loop 33 with the end arms 35 clamped about the member 25 both above and below the wire I0 so asto hold it in the loop 33.

The clamp may be made of any suitable "material and the wire may be of such a character or composition that it may be used alone to 'securely clasp devices without injuring them. It may be desired'however to prevent the wire from coming into direct contact withthe devices to be clamped. To this end plastic or the like 36 may be applied to all or to the clasping portion of the device as indicated in Fig. l or more or less fiat pieces of wood or other material 31 may be held against the clasping surfaces by any suitable means such as cords, wires or clasps 38 about the clasping members such as l3, l4, etc., as indicated in Figs. 2 and 3.

It is possible of course, without using the handles 20 and 21, to force the clamping members apart by any suitable means or by manual manipulation. A paper or other device to be clamped may be forced between the crossing members l4 and 22. Thus the handles 20 and 21 may be entirely omitted and if desired the members l8 and 32 may be directly connected to the 'bar Ill. Such an arrangement is indicated in Fig. 5 where the members I 8a and 32a terminate in rings or loops 40 and 4] respectively which engage the bar it). This may be particularly desirable when the device is to be used as a paper clip to hold together two or more pieces of paper. The paper or the like may be inserted merely by sliding it between the crossing members l4 and 22 of the clamp members 13a and Zia and so into position to be fully grasped and held by the members, In this construction the loops 28, 29, 30 and 3| shown in Fig. 1 may be omitted if desired.

Various changes in construction, arrangement and relative sizes of the various elements may be made without departing from the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a clasp made of a singlepiece of wire, a central bar, a spring coil at one end of the bar, a, clamping member extending from the coil, a handle member extending from the clamping member and crossing the bar, a handle at the end of the handle member, an ofiset in the handle member where it crosses the bar, a second sprin coil at the othcr'end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the first-mentioned clamping member, a second handle member extending from the second clamping member and crossing the bar on the side opposite to the first handle member, a. second handle at the end of the handle member, the handle members after crossing the bar diverging, a second offset in the second handle member where it crosses the bar, and anchor members straddling the oflsets and each on the other side of the bar from its offset.

2. In a clasp made of a single piece of wire, a central bar, a spring coil at one'end of the bar, a clamping member extending from the coil, a handle member extendin from the clamping member and crossing the bar, a handle at the end of the handle member, an offset in the handie member where it crosses the bar, a second spring-coil at the other end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially incontact with the first-mentioned clamping member, a second handle member extending from the second clamping member and crossing the bar on the side opposite to the first handle member, a second handle at the end of the second handle member, the handle members after crossing the bar diverging, and a secondoffset in the second handle mem-- her where it crosses the bar.

3,,;rn -a clasp made of a single piece of wire, a eejntral bar, a spring coil at one end of the bar, a gla'mpiing" member extending from the coil, a

handle" member extending from the clamping member and crossin the bar, a handle at the and f the handle member, a second spring coil at the other end of the bar, asecond clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the first-mentioned clamping member, a second handle member extending from the second clamping member and crossing the bar on the side opposite to the first handle member, and a second handle at the end of the second handle member, the handle members after crossing the bar diverging.

4. In a clasp made of a single piece of wire, a central bar, a spring coil at one end of the bar, a clamping member extending from the coil, a handle member extending from the clamping member and crossing the bar, a second spring coil at the other end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the firstmentioned clamping member, and a second handle member extending from the second clamping member and crossing the bar on the side opposite to the first handle member,

5. In a clasp made of a single piece of wire, a central bar, a spring coil at one end of the bar, a clamping member extending from the coil, a handle member extending from the clamping member and crossing the bar, an oifset in the handle member where it crosses the bar, a second spring coil at the other end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the first-mentioned clamping member, a second handle member extendin from the second clamping member and crossing the bar on the side opposite to the first handle member, and a second oilset in the second handle member where it crosses the bar.

6. In a clasp made from a single piece of wire, a central bar, a sprin coil at one end of the bar, a clamping member extending from the coil, a loop extending from the clamping member and engaging the bar, a second spring coil at the other end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the first mentioned clamping member, and a second loop extending from the second clamping member and engaging the bar on the side opposite to the first mentioned loop.

7. In a clamp made from a single piece of wire, a central bar, a sprin coil at one end of the bar, a clamping member extending from the coil, means for loosely connecting the member to the bar, a second spring coil at the other end of the bar, a second clamping member extending from the second coil and normally substantially in contact with the first mentioned clamping, and means for loosely connecting the second clamping member to the bar on the side opposite to the first mentioned connecting member.

EDDIE J. BELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,003,842 Williams Sept. 19, 1911 2,108,473 Brock Feb. 15, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 255,173 France Aug. 24, 1905 

